dr. martens’ genix nappa shoes are crafted from reclaimed leather offcuts destined for landfill

Dr. Martens launches Genix Nappa made of reclaimed leather

Dr. Martens launches its Genix Nappa collection as a series of boots and shoes crafted from reclaimed leather offcuts that were supposed to be discarded in landfills. These leather scraps are now being given a new life to produce a soft-touch and durable material for footwear. So far, Dr. Martens has applied its reclaimed and reused leather offcuts to create three of its Original styles: the 1460 boot, the 1461 shoe, and the 2976 Chelsea boot. The footwear company adds that since the Genix Nappa’s reclaimed leather material can be more flexible than the ones used in its other products, it might ‘soften’ faster than its conventional black smooth leather.

images courtesy of Dr. Martens

Shoes and boots with water-based polyurethane coating

For Genix Nappa’s shoes and boots, Dr. Martens collects the leather scraps from the ‘wet blue’ tanning, the process that gives them their signature hue of blue. After that, the manufacturing team separates each scrap of leather into individual fibers using a precision milling process.

From here, two layers of woven fibers and a textile core are interwoven using high-powered water jets. For the finishing of the collection, a water-based polyurethane coating is added with additional texture and color, which Dr. Martens says can make the shoes and boots durable and long-lasting.

Dr. Martens launches Genix Nappa, a series of boots and shoes crafted from reclaimed leather offcuts

‘100 percent sustainable materials by 2040’

Dr. Marten’s Genix Nappa shoes and boots fall under its aim of making 100 percent of its footwear ‘from sustainable materials by 2040.’ The company adds that the reclaimed leather has a lower carbon impact than traditional leather and is specially engineered to make sure it’s just as durable.

Repurposing these leather scraps can also avoid sourcing new materials when there’s an abundance of other fabrics and textiles and help avoid adding more to the already overflowing landfill. As of publishing the story, Dr. Marten’s Genix Nappa shoes and boots are available, with both the 1460 Lace-Up and 2976 Chelsea Boots having a suggested price at 170 GBP and the 1461 3-Eye Shoe at 140 GBP.

these leather scraps are now being given a new life to produce a soft-touch and durable material for footwear